Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Philosophy and ethics

Legal System and Standards

Natural Law Defined

In any society, coexistence necessitates order; without it, life is impossible. Natural law refers to a set of rules that embody the ideal of justice (the "duty to be").

Positive Law: Governing Principles

Unlike natural law, positive law refers to a set of standards that are not left to the free will of individuals but are imposed coercively. A right is considered positive because it governs at a particular time, meaning it is currently in force. For example, the Civil Code of 1889 is considered positive law because it remains in effect.

Theoretically, positive law should be guided by natural law, developing its principles while considering the specific circumstances of time and place. The correlation... Continue reading "Understanding Legal Systems: Natural, Positive, & Civil Law" »

Case 9.

1. This case concerns a labor contract under which the contractor, SA Aerodynamicist, undertakes to implement a diffuser for Renault. Renault, in turn, agrees to pay a certain price for the work.

Regarding the first question, we set out the following:

The contract is perfected when Renault makes an offer and Aerodynamic Engineers conduct simultaneous acceptance (Art. 1262 CC). Acceptance is the willingness shown by Aerodynamic Engineers to whom the offer is made, giving their consent to it. This also applies the principle of autonomy, but more limited in supply, because when accepting the offer coincides with the contract is perfected. Acceptance may also be revoked, provided it has not been made known to the offeror.

The time and place... Continue reading "Labor Contract Case Study: Diffuser Manufacturing for Renault" »

Philosophical Foundations and Classification

Porphyry's Tree and Universal Concepts

The Tree of Porphyry illustrates a classification system that influenced philosophers. In this tree, concepts are universal as well as particular, and with it began nominalism, which could be considered the precursor of modern taxonomy.

Understanding Genus and Species

• Next Genus: The broader category, e.g., for "man," the next genus is "animal."
• Specific Difference: This consists of the characteristic that makes a species different from other species belonging to the same genus.
  • Example: Man's next genus is "animal," and his specific difference is "rational."
• Specific Definition: This alludes to mediate or remote species.
• Substance: Cannot be defined.

Boethius and the

Key Elements of Textual Composition

Textual Structure

Deductive/Inductive Synthesizing

This involves organizing information by moving from general principles to specific conclusions (deductive synthesizing) or from specific observations to broader generalizations (inductive synthesizing).

Thesis Formulation

Explicit/Implicit Thesis

A thesis is the main argument or central point of a text. It can be explicit (clearly stated) or implicit (suggested or understood without being directly stated).

Cohesion in Writing

Cohesion is the property a text must possess, ensuring all statements are interconnected and flow logically, creating a unified whole.

Lexical Cohesion Techniques

• Synonymy: Replacement of a word with another of similar meaning.
• Hyponymy: Replacement

What is a Natural Abortion?

A natural abortion, also known as a miscarriage or spontaneous abortion, is the spontaneous death of an embryo or fetus before it is developed enough to survive. This can occur even before a woman knows she is pregnant.

Most miscarriages occur during the first three months of pregnancy, before the twelfth week of gestation. A small number of natural abortions – less than 1% – are stillbirths, occurring after the twentieth week of pregnancy.

Symptoms of Abortion

Many women never even know they have had a miscarriage and interpret it as a particularly heavy menstruation.

Some women experience abdominal cramps, blood spotting, heavy bleeding, abdominal pain and/or pelvic pain, weakness, or back pain. A small amount of... Continue reading "Natural Abortion: Causes, Symptoms, and Types" »

Nietzsche's Critique of Western Thought

Friedrich Nietzsche proposed a philosophy that critically examined the values inherent in Western tradition, particularly those stemming from Christianity and the Enlightenment.

Challenging Platonic Dualism and Reality

Regarding the nature of reality, Nietzsche criticized Plato's ontological dualism, which posited a sensible world and an intelligible world. Nietzsche argued that there is not one world or another, but rather a constant evolution of being. He contended that Plato's division had unduly prioritized the world of ideas over the existing, tangible world.

Vitalism, Will to Power, and Nihilism

Nietzsche proposed an atheist *vitalism*, asserting that the sensible world is the only reality. This reality,... Continue reading "Nietzsche's Philosophy: Critiques of Western Thought" »

World View of the Big Bang

The World View of the Big Bang breaks with the static idea of the universe and embraces the idea that it is continually evolving. It provides a starting point for the universe (the Big Bang) and a potential end point (Grand Pasgón). The expansion caused by the Big Bang generated new material, resulting in chemical elements and their clusters.

The Term "Sense"

Sense, purpose, or direction: From this point of view, human actions make sense when pursuing a purpose and are appropriate for it. The question of environmental concerns arises if they are appropriate means to the desired end. The term "meaning" is intended to assert that the universe has an ultimate goal, that the universe has a "why."

Sense makes sense as meaning... Continue reading "Big Bang and the Evolving Universe: Meaning and Value" »

What can be said of Nietzsche's philosophy is that it is based on freedom from the burden of God, to become a Superman who can do what he wants without being accountable to anyone. He considers how weak those who are subject to the laws of God are, which is demonstrated in many ways, as follows:

When in his The Birth of Tragedy he speaks of the Apollonian and the Dionysian, the Apollonian represents something harmonic and orderly, which is not too good for man, and the Dionysian is the essence of life. He also states that morality is anti-life, and that moral life should be condemned. Nietzsche criticized Socrates for having "invented" morality.

Nietzsche's Moral Distinction

Nietzsche makes a distinction between two types of morality:

• Slave Morality:

Kant and the Enlightenment: A Philosophical Perspective

The Enlightenment was a broad movement of ideas and culture that permeated all literary, artistic, historical, and religious spheres from 1650 to 1800. In Germany, the Enlightenment was characterized by the analysis of reason, with the idea of finding and establishing its principles as the governing system for the knowledge of nature, moral action, and human policy.

Immanuel Kant, an Enlightenment theorist and critic, defined it as humanity's entry into adulthood, or the ability to use one's own understanding (autonomous reason without civil or religious constraints). However, emerging from that minority requires a critical examination of reason itself (to think for oneself). For Kant, the... Continue reading "Kant's Philosophy: Reason, Ethics, and Enlightenment" »

Tensions Between Individual and Society

5.1 Rejection

Rejection occurs when the majority social group does not accept or recognize certain individuals as full members. This depends on various factors, and social responsiveness can vary.

5.2 Self-Exclusion

Self-exclusion is the opposite of rejection. In this case, the individual does not identify with the group and therefore excludes themselves. The factors causing this lack of recognition are diverse and may be due to sudden changes in society or community.

5.2.1 Consequences

5.2.1.1 Marginalization

Marginalization results from both self-exclusion and rejection, fundamentally leading to a state of isolation.

5.2.1.2 Violence

Violence is both a cause and consequence of social rejection. The aggressiveness... Continue reading "Individual vs Society: Tensions, Exclusion, and Philosophical Views" »